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Posts Tagged ‘Alex Rodriguez’

Whenever New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter speaks, it’s rare that he allows much to be known. Jeter likes to keep his true thoughts to himself, always has.

Earlier this week, Jeter held a press conference prior to the first day that position players were obligated to be in Tampa for spring training. While most of what he said to the media was the usual vanilla, uncontroversial stuff he’s stuck to for 15 years, there appeared to be some interesting material tucked in-between the boring run-of-the-mill quotes many are used to reading.

What follows is my attempt to deconstruct some of Jeter’s quotes to provide a better understanding of the deeper meaning behind his carefully-crafted answers to questions from the media. Quotes by Derek Jeter were found in various published reports.

I didn’t watch Friday night’s game between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. I was at a minor league ballgame with my son, and we had the opportunity to camp out in the outfield afterward; we weren’t going to pass that up.

On Saturday morning, while I was packing up my tent, someone asked me if I had heard what happened in the game. I told him no, and he filled me in. It sounded like a great game, and it got me thinking.

The New York Yankees have reached the halfway point of the season at 48-33, four games better than last season at this time (44-37), and have won 10 of their last 11 games entering their Monday afternoon tilt against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Captain Earns an "A"

With the team at the exact midpoint of the season, now is a great time to assess how the players are performing this year. As a teacher, it is my sworn duty to hand out grades where I see fit, so players will receive letter grades on this “Yankees Mid-Season Report Card.”

This column will focus on the lineup, defined as the top 9 Yankees in at-bats, since a few players have split time at their respective positions. For a team with the most runs scored in baseball, expect a few high grades.

2009 was supposed to be a “Return to Glory” for the New York Yankees. They were opening a grand new ballpark. They spent wildly in the offseason on the three premier free agents on the open market, putting Pinstripes on Mark Teixiera, CC Sabathia, and AJ Burnett.

Despite the positive news, the Yankees’ offseason was overshadowed by the many tales of Alex Rodriguez. Steroids. Madonna. Hip surgery. The provocative photo spread.

Through it all, the Yankees came out of spring training seemingly prepared, sporting a nifty 24-12-1 exhibition record. Many were saying the Yankees would fare well without Alex Rodriguez. Who needs his bat? Who needs his baggage?